Customer Reviews

Decca Legends: Verdi: AIDA

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The main virtues of this recording are already mentioned in other reviews: the brilliant orchestral playing, and the singing of the four principals. The singing isn't perfect--Tebaldi is a bit past her best (most noticeably in the notoriously difficult high note in "O Patria Mia"), and Bergonzi doesn't have the vocal heft and force of an ideal Radames. But overall, it's as strong a cast as can be found on any AIDA recording, with special mention going to the brilliantly sung and characterized Amneris of Giulietta Simionato. What makes the recording controversial is the sound.

For one view of producer John Culshaw's sound-balances, you can read the thoughtful and intelligent review below mine. But to my ears, the orchestra does not overpower the singers--rather, the singers are simply not placed unnaturally close-up, which is what happens in most operatic recordings. Instead the singers are kept at a fair distance from the microphones, allowing for something closer to an opera-house aural perspective. Yes, when the orchestra plays very loudly the singers can be difficult to hear, but that's exactly what would happen in the theatre (no one singer is loud enough to overpower a full orchestra). But there's no lack of power from the singers when needed; once you adjust your expectations--i.e. don't expect the voices to be placed far forward and the orchestra way backward--the glory of these voices comes through loud and clear. One tip: this recording needs to be played loudly to make its maximum (thrilling) impact--the opera-house balances tend to make the most sense at full opera-house volume.

Culshaw's stereo staging plan is complex and quite brilliant, with movement not only along a horizontal plane but also from front to back (so that Bergonzi sings the recitative to "Celeste Aida" from the back of the "stage," and then steps forward to sing the aria). I feel it enhances the feeling of a real performance going on.

Karajan's interpretation is large-scaled, lush-sounding, somewhat stately, going for epic pageantry rather than dramatic propulsion. It's certainly not the only way to do "Aida," but it's a legitimate way, and since this is Karajan before his descent into self-indulgence (in the mid-'60s or thereabouts), he makes it work. I wouldn't say that this should be your only "Aida"-- the Solti version is a strong contender among stereo sets, and the monophonic RCA/Perlea version has some wonderful things in it. But this is certainly an "Aida" like no other, and I think it's great.

This was the very first recording of AIDA that I ever listened to. I was a kid at the time, and I borrowed it from our public library (they lent records then, now it is CD's). I was overwhelmed by it. The one thing I did find weird was figuring out how to set my volume control, for the orchestra could be so soft you couldn't even hear it, then the next minute explode so loudly that the speakers buzzed.

Even in this wonderful remastering of the opera, I still find the orchestra has too much variation in sound between soft and loud. That is the way the conductor saw it (and he would get even worse in a later recording with Freni and Cararras). Still, the orchestra is a lush beautiful sound that simply drips with excitement and romance. Karajan in not my favorite conductor, and never has been. He does make the orchestra "sing" but he is often so wrapped up in small details he obscures the whole. Still, in this opera he is wonderful (even if the dynamics are a bit over the top).

Tebaldi is wonderful, and it is quite easy to see why she pleased so in this role. Some people have said she was past her prime when she recorded this role, and they base that on the fact her high notes (the legendary high C in O Patria mia) were less than free. Though Tebaldi has some ravishingly lovely high B's and especially B flats, she was never secure on a high C. Sometimes it came beautifully, but more often than not it had its problems. Yet, judging an entire role on one note is a bit much. If that were the case, then her rival, Maria Callas, never sang any roles successfully, for there is not one recording or performance she ever did where every note, even the high ones, was without some effort or flaw (yet, we know the impact and the artistry of this magnificent singer, and how she brought drama and music to her singing). Tebaldi's characterization is less vivid than some would enjoy, but if one really looks at the character, AIDA is a rather bland person. In one scene she bemoans wishing her lover succeed in war against her people, then in another she bemoans her homeland she will never see again. She has some rivalry between with the Princess of Egypt, but her real character always seems to just be floating between love of a man and her homeland. AIDA, as a character, is no where near as developed as Amneris.

As for Bergonza, well, he is a wonderful Radames. Some would say he is a bit too distant from the heroic person he is portraying. I don't agree. I feel he is quite heroic when needed, but if we look at the role, most of his worries are about the woman he loves, and making sure the woman he doesn't love (who has the hots for him) doesn't find out. Excepting a very dramatic recitative that opens the opera, and a declaration at the end of the third act, most of his music is intimate, and dealing with very personal feelings. I think Bergonza's sound is just perfect for communicating these special intimate feelings.

What most people often forget is AIDA is NOT a pagentry opera. The only "real scene of pagentry" is the one scene at the end of the second act, and even then, most of the feelings of the main characters are their very private feelings about love, and who loves them. AIDA is a very intimate opera dealing with the very intimate feelings of people. I feel that most of the singers captured these feelings very well, and Karajan infused the orchestra, in spite of all its grandeur, with as much of this romantic intimacy as possible.

There are many recordings out there of this opera (I myself own quite a few of them, from historical live recordings to many different studio recordings by most all the famous AIDAS out there) and no matter how much I love those recordings and no matter how much fine artistry there is to admire (and there are tons of things to admire in the other recordings), this one still holds that special place in my heart. It is well worth the money, and the time to listen to.

My parents gave me this recording of AIDA for Christmas in 1971 when I was thirteen years old. I was already a pianist but was instantly bitten by the "opera bug" and listened to the complete performance while following the full orchestra score so many times that it had to be replaced several times. It affected the course of my entire life by introducing me to grand opera and caused me to seek out as many other recordings of operas and singers as I could find and, as a result of this, I became a successful tenor, vocal coach, and piano accompanist. This is the recording that I would recommend over all others to introduce young people to grand opera. Renata Tebaldi's performance is the most beautifully sung interpretation of the title role out of the dozens of recordings which I have heard. Her interpretation is the best in terms of communicating the drama through voice alone and she gives priceless lessons in phrasing and tone color throughout--even while coping gorgeously with Karajan's ridiculously slow tempo for "O Patria Mia" which causes the aria to lose its rhythmic impulse and makes the ascent to high C unreasonably endless. I also love the beautifully sung Ramphis of Arnold Van Mill. An artist who made very few recordings, he creates a character of subtlety and mystery through great musical insight and the most uniquely beautiful and mellow bass voice which I have ever heard. Eugenia Ratti as the Priestess in Act One Scene Two creates absolute magic in her brief appearance. Her singing of this short but crucial part has never been approached on any other recording and is magically enhanced by the care given to her contribution by the London/Decca engineers.

Among dozens of great recordings of this very popular opera, this classic one, now released in the collection Decca Legends, has always been one of the most praised by the critics and the Opera fans. Of course, there's a good reason for that: the cast headed by some of the best Verdian singers ever, the lively and magnificent orchestra, and the opulent conducting of Herbert von Karajan. No one can stand unmoved when one listens to the elegant singing of Bergonzi, the warmness of the immortal Tebaldi or the fiery interpretation of the big voiced Simionato.

Renata Tebaldi joins the huge wall of sound of Nilsson and the creamy lyric sound of Caballé into one of the prettiest voices ever! When Joan Sutherland was asked what are the most beautiful voices she's ever heard, she answered: Kirsten Flagstad and Renata Tebaldi. In fact, it's not only extremely beautiful, but also deeply moving. She delineates every phrase with utter charm and passion in a way only Tebaldi could sing. Although she sounds strong when she defies the princess Amneris, her characterization is more attuned on the sweetness and longing for the homeland. From the gleaming pianissimi in ''O patria mia" to the powerful low notes in ''Ritorna vincitor", everything in Tebaldi's singing is as steady as a rock and as soft as a plume.
Giulietta Simionato had the most perfect voice and temperament to sing the most flesh-and-blood Amneris on disc. The lush dark sound of her voice inspires power and pride. Simionato had the most innate sense of drama and the most unique voice among all mezzos of her generation. Her Amneris may sound passionate or authoritative, but above all her intepretation is noted for the jealousy and selfishness of her character. Besides, it's impossible not to be amazed at the huge range of Simionato's voice. It stands above all the singers and even the chorus even in the famous Triumphal Scene, and despite her high notes are even more impressive than those of many great sopranos, she has a flawless low register.
Carlo Bergonzi establishes himself in this recording as the best Radamès on disc. His elegant and stylistically perfect singing is aided by the warmness and sincerity of his interpretation, what makes him an ideal partner for Tebaldi. Cornell MacNeil is outstanding as Amonasro, using his large and exuberant voice to real dramatic effect, and even Eugenia Ratti impresses as the Priestess, conveying a ravishing atmosphere. In overall, Karajan's powerful conducting contributes to the persuasive music of Aida and to create the right atmosphere. On the other hand, sometimes it sounds too loud over the singers' voices. Despite the few faults, this is still a legendary recording with some of the most unbeliavable Verdian singing you will ever hear!

Renata Tebaldi was an extremely consistent artist. Although time had its toll on her voice, it was in the form of gradual steps, rather than career-shattering lunges.
Tebaldi voice was at its freshest early in her career, she was able to sing lighter roles with a higher tessitura than later in her career. A good example of her singing during this period is her first recordings of Madama Butterfly and La Boheme, both 1951, which are very fine. Despite any (slight) vocal shortcomings that would later become present, she developed as an actress and her interpretations found a new dramatic quality particularly evident by the late 1950s. The Karajan Aida shows quite a change from her earlier performance besides Mario del Monaco back in 1952, being more dramatic and intense. The voice in 1959 is darker and slightly less comfortable on the high notes, but it had not diminished in size and it retains the beautiful, `womanly' characteristic evident since her earliest records- indeed these qualities remain and contribute to what is potentially her finest recording - Desdemona on the 1961 Karajan set beside Mario del Monaco.
The voice deepened and darkened again from the early 1960s towards the end of her career and Tebaldi's repertoire changed accordingly - typified by the title role of Ponchielli's La Gioconda, which she sang to great success on stage and on record.
My recommendations for opera fans that are yet to fall in love with Tebaldi are her recordings of La Fanciulla del West, La Forza del Destino, and Otello (Karajan). Besides these recordings, for early Tebaldi go for her first Boheme or Madama Butterfly and for an idea of what she was like later in her career go for her Gioconda.

No doubt this is best recording of this famous opera. Tebaldi in her glorious prime gives a most impressive performance. Now I know why Toscanini called her voce di angelo (angel's voice). The most perfect Amneris of this century and perhaps the best Verdi-mezzo (with Barbieri)is Simionato. She too is in her prime (pity that there are only pirate recordings of her glorious partnership with Callas). Bergonzi lives up to his usual standard and Radames was a favourite of his. However, "la vedette" of this recording is Karajan and the splendide Vienna Philharmonic. The latter is maybe not the Verdi orchestra "par excellence" but luckily the former was the best Verdi conductor of his generation and maybe the best Verdi conductor the world has ever seen. After all it was from his performances that we learned that Verdi's music was as well orchestrated as Wagner's. Listen to the Triumph March and you will know what I am talking about.

Although everyone has their favorites, there is rarely just "ONE" recording of an opera that can give a listener at home a complete view of what the compsoser intended. Such is the case with AIDA. There are several excellent recordings of this popular masterpiece, and many more good or passable ones. In the case of the 1959 vonKarajan set, there is really no question that this ranks among the most excellent, and is well worth the investment.

The cast, although not what I personally would pick as a "dream cast", vocalises the music well, apart from Tebaldi's tendency to go slightly flat on the topmost notes. Bergonzi's singing is completely above reproach, his phrasing an absolute marvel, although his character is merely adequate. The one principal who goes beyond beautiful singing into the realm of complete identification with the character is Simionato, a frequent partner of Callas and obviously a capable vocal actress in her own right. Some have carped that the orchestra drowns out Simionato's voice. Although I would agree that she's minus the almost painful edge given other Amnerises, especially Rita Gorr in the 1962 Solti set, I also think there is something gained in the overall effect achieved by floating the voice on the orchestra instead of having it cut through like a chain-saw.

This brings me to my next point. VonKarajan had obviously read Wagner's treatise on conducting because he relates each new tempo he takes to the one before, creating the most beautiful symmetry to each act and, subsequently, the entire opera. This only adds to the drama of the music, and where the singers fail in the depth of their interpretation, vonKarajan compensates. In short, his approach to the score just has that sense of "rightness" about it that's more felt than understood intellectually.

As for the sound, John Culshaw and his engineers did a marvelous job capturing this grandest of grand operas onto magnetic tape. The sound is three-dimensional, and although that's not something entirely new to us in the 21st century, it was very much a new concept in 1959. Stereo sound was still evolving and the things we now take for granted were groundbreaking the people then. When viewed from that perspective, the achievement this recording represents is doubly astounding.

Finally, the remastering on this recording has been very well done, making the sound much clearer than on the original LP release and retaining the perspectives so carefully engineered by Culshaw and his team. The only complaint I have is that the second act is split between two discs in a rather awkward place. Of course, this was surely necessary to fit the opera onto two discs instead of three, thus making the set more affordable. In the final analysis, anyone wondering whether or not to purchase this set should have no qualms. It's a classic, well worth the money for both beginners and opera buffs alike. AIDA par excellence!

This 1959 "Aida" was the first to be recorded in stereo, and it is the particular way the stereo was implemented that always gave me a problem with this recording. Von Karajan's undeniably outstanding work with his orchestra is given sonic preference over the four very great voices employed on this recording. Thus, we are given an "Aida" that is heard as though the listener were sitting in the third balcony of the opera house ---- a state of affairs not appropriate for a recording. Throughout, there is an uncomfortable distance between the listener and the voices. The orchestra, however, is close, vividly clear, and sometimes overpowering. Case in point: Gulietta Simionato, who had a huge and commanding voice, and who could blow the roof off in her great Judgement Scene -- sounds decidedly underpowered here. The same observation can be made on behalf of Renata Tebaldi, whose large spinto voice is here reduced to the dimensions of a mere lyric soprano. These are major issues that, for me anyway, cast this performance out of the ballpark when it comes to recommending it as a "sole" recording of "Aida". Von Karajan's orchestra plays the music more beautifully than I have ever heard it. His is a glossy and expansive account of the score, with exquisite orchestral touches everywhere. Clearly, it sounds like the intention was to create "Aida" in terms of an orchestral tone-poem, with the singers placed in a subordinate position in the procedings. The singers do what they can under the strange circumstances. Renata Tebaldi for the most part sings with all the beauty that made her the greatest Italian spinto of her generation, though by this time in her career, the tendency to go somewhat flat on the top C's was beginning to rankle (in fact, she dropped the role of "Aida" from her repertoire immediately after she completed this recording). Carlo Bergonzi, a lyric tenor, sings a youthful and tasteful Rhademes --- no heroics or bombast here (would von Karajan have even allowed it?) -- his "Celeste Aida" the most beautiful since Bjoerling's on the celebrated RCA recording with Zinka Milanov. Gulietta Simionato valiantly tries her best to perpetuate her commanding Amneris, but given the sound balances here, the sheer guts of the role are missing. What we heard is a fine mezzo soprano going through the paces while what we should have heard was one of the most imposing operatic characterizations of the last forty years. Cornell MacNeil sings a vocally fine Amonasro, possibly the best-voiced account of the role yet to be heard on records. If one is primarily interested in hearing "Aida" in terms of orchesral playing, this version is certainly the one to own because that particular aspect of the opera has never been better realized on records (or probably even in the theatre, for that matter!). But if you are interested in the singing first, you would be better directed to the RCA recording noted above, or to the Solti version, with the silken Aida of Leontyne Price, John Vickers, Rita Gorr (an explosive Amneris), and Robert Merrill.

The main virtues of this 1959 recording are already mentioned in other reviews: the splendid orchestral playing, and the singing of the four principals. The singing isn't perfect--Tebaldi is a bit past her best (most noticeably in the notoriously difficult high note in "O Patria Mia"), and Bergonzi doesn't have the vocal heft and force of an ideal Radames; sometimes he sounds more like a professor than a warrior. But overall, it's as strong a cast as can be found on any AIDA recording, with special mention going to the brilliantly sung and characterized Amneris of Giulietta Simionato. What makes the recording controversial is the sound.

For one view of producer John Culshaw's sound-balances, you can read the thoughtful and intelligent review below mine. But to my ears, the orchestra does not overpower the singers--rather, the singers are simply not placed unnaturally close-up, which is what happens in most operatic recordings. Instead the singers are kept at a fair distance from the microphones, allowing for something closer to an opera-house aural perspective. Yes, when the orchestra plays very loudly the singers can be difficult to hear, but that's exactly what happens in the theatre (no one singer is loud enough to overpower a full orchestra). But there's no lack of power from the singers when needed; once you adjust your expectations--i.e. don't expect the voices to be placed far forward and the orchestra way backward--the glory of these voices comes through loud and clear. One tip: this recording needs to be played loudly to make its maximum (thrilling) impact--the opera-house balances tend to make the most sense at full opera-house volume.

Culshaw's stereo staging plan is complex and quite brilliant, with movement not only along a horizontal plane but also from front to back (so that Bergonzi sings the recitative to "Celeste Aida" from the back of the "stage," and then steps forward to sing the aria). I feel it enhances the feeling of a real performance going on.

Karajan's interpretation is large-scaled, lush-sounding, somewhat stately, going for epic pageantry rather than dramatic propulsion. It's certainly not the only way to do "Aida," but it's a legitimate way, and since this is Karajan before his descent into self-indulgence (which I think happened in the mid-'60s or thereabouts), he makes it work. I wouldn't say that this should be your only "Aida"-- the Solti version is a strong contender among stereo sets, and the monophonic RCA/Perlea version has some wonderful things in it. But this is certainly an "Aida" like no other, and I think it's great.

I have read all of the other reviews on this page and feel that I must weigh in with my humble opinion. I own 5 recordings of Aida, and have heard several more. To me my favorite is still Solti's, with Leontyne Price and Jon Vickers, followed by the mono Bjorling, Milanov, Barbieri set. That being said, this is a marvelous Aida, and well worth having. The cast could not be better, Tebaldi is a supreme Aida, warm, strong and honey toned when she needed to be. Yes, she is slightly taxed by the highest notes, but this in no way detracts from her commanding performance. Some of the other reviewers nitpick about her command of certain notes, but if taken as a whole her performance is simply beautiful to listen to. Isn't beauty why we lsiten to opera? I happen to love Bergonzi's rendition of Radames, he brings a true Verdian style to the role and sings with great understanding and warmth. The "Tomb" scene with Tebaldi is indescribably moving and says with the listener long after the final note fades away. I must also comment on Simionato, she is the best Amneris I've ever heard and it is worth buying this recording just to hear her. She sings with such thrilling power and depth that you truly understand that this is a princess who has been cast aside by the man she loves.
For me the only detraction is the conducting of von Karajan. I realize that to some this is sacriligeous to say, but I really feel it is the case on this recording. Von Karajan felt that people came to the opera just to hear him conduct, he was an egotistical man and frequently was guilty of not understanding the balance between singers and the orchestra. He frequently is guilty of drowning out his singers, and dragging out the tempi in his zeal to show off his conducting prowess. This negative aside, this is still a wonderful recording and one that any true fan of this opera should own.